Idaho Vandals vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Southern Utah upsets Idaho 92-78 in Big Sky quarterfinal
RENO, Nev. -- Brandon Better scored a career-high 27 points, Jadon Cohee added 20 and No. 10 seed Southern Utah upset second-seeded Idaho 92-78 on Thursday night in a Big Sky Conference Tournament quarterfinal.
Southern Utah (13-18) avenged a pair of regular-season losses to the Vandals, including a 78-76 defeat on Saturday, and will move on to a Friday semifinal game. The Thunderbirds also snapped a five-game losing skid against Idaho.
The game was tied at 49 before Southern Utah used a 20-10 run for a 69-59 lead with 7:41 to play, and they held a double-digit advantage for the last six minutes.
Jamal Aytes added 17 points and Dre Marin 11 for Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds shot 15 of 25 (60 percent) in the second half and finished 11 of 18 (61 percent) from long range. Cohee and Better each made four 3-pointers.
Brayon Blake had 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead Idaho (22-9). Victor Sanders, who hit the game-winning shot in last week's win, finished with 19 points.
Game Information
Reno, NV
Referee:Ryan Holmes
Referee:Marc A. Beasley
Referee:Jon Stigliano
2025-26 Standings
| Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Valley | 3-1 | - | 13-4 |
| UT Arlington | 2-1 | 0.5 | 10-5 |
| Abilene Christian | 2-1 | 0.5 | 10-6 |
| Utah Tech | 2-1 | 0.5 | 9-8 |
| Tarleton State | 2-2 | 1 | 11-6 |
| California Baptist | 1-3 | 2 | 11-6 |
| Southern Utah | 0-3 | 2.5 | 4-12 |
| Big Sky ConferenceBig Sky Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 3-0 | - | 9-7 |
| Montana State | 3-0 | - | 9-7 |
| Portland State | 2-0 | 0.5 | 8-5 |
| Weber State | 2-1 | 1 | 8-8 |
| Idaho | 1-1 | 1.5 | 9-6 |
| Northern Colorado | 1-2 | 2 | 11-5 |
| Idaho State | 1-2 | 2 | 8-8 |
| Sacramento State | 0-2 | 2.5 | 4-10 |
| Eastern Washington | 0-2 | 2.5 | 2-13 |
| Northern Arizona | 0-3 | 3 | 6-10 |
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